Hood catch



Dec. 15, 1931". MOORE 1,836,544

HOOD CATCH Filed. Nov. 30, 1928 IN VEN TOR. Rn YMDND 5. Mama.

I A TTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES T NT/OF I RAYMOND G. MOORE, OFBBIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT; ASSIGNOR TO THE BASSICK CON.-

PANY, O'F BBIDGEPORT', CONN'EGTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUTnooncn'rcn Application filed November so, 1928. Serial No. 322,653.-

The present invention relates to improvements in hood catches,particularly of the type adapted for heavy usage, as upon trucks andbusses, an object being to provide a 6 catch having convenientlyaccessibletoggle operating means adapted to be easily operated toconnect or disconnect the catch, and which at the same time will retainthe hood tightly against excessive vibration and rough usage. It isfurther proposed to provide a catch in which toggle means is carriedupon a normally fixed part of the hood structure independent of thespring plunger carrying barrel which is carried upon the movable hoodclosure, so that such toogle means is at all times easily accessible andprotected from damage through contact with the surrounding structure ofthe automob-le.

Nith the above and other objects in view,

an embodimentof the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, andthis em-' bodiment will be hereinafter more fully described withreference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings ,Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hood catch, accordingto the present embodiment of the invention, and showing the same inhooked or operative position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the toggle operating means;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof; and

4 and a side closure flap 11, hinged at its lower edge and having itsupper edge overlapped and abutting the lower edge of the flap 10 in itsraised or closed position. The toggle operating means is mounted uponthe upper Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the toggle I flap 10, whilethe barrel carrying the spring ing the same to'the flap 1 1 by rivets14:, aper-- tured and flanged end caps 15 and 16 being secured at itsupper and lower ends by lugs 17. The spring actuated plunger rod 18' ispreferably of flattened cross-section, to prevent turning, and extendsthrough the correspondingly shaped apertures in the end caps, beingprovided within the barrel with -a washer'19, secured by pinching therod, as at 19 a spring 20 being engaged about the plunger between thewasher 19 and the upper cap 15. The'uppercnd of the plunger is providedwith a forwardly projecting hook end 21, bent at an acute angle, andwith which the toggle operating means is adapted to engage.

'Thetoggle operating means comprises a bracket consisting of a baseplate 22 secured by rivets to the face of the upper hood flap 10, andprovided at its vertical edges with forwardly bent ears 2323,' the upperedges ofwhich are angularly recessecL-as'at 24;. A toggle lever handlemember, comprising -a base portion 25 and forwardly bent side portendingthrough holes in the side portions 26-26, the base portion 25 adapted tobear against" the base portion: of the bracket and having its lower edgeterminating above or in line with the horizontal radial plane of thepivotal axis, so that the lever member may swing outwardly with'respectto the bracket,-

as shown in Fig. 4, The base portion is provided with an upwardly andoutwardly curved handle extension 28. The lever member is yieldablymaintained in its normal position against the base of the bracket, whendisconnected from the hook end of the plunger rod, by means of a spring29 coiled about the pin 27 having one end bearing against the bas e22 ofthe bracket and the other end engaged with an apertured lug 30 bentfromone of the side portions 26*of the lever member.

actuated plunger-rod is mounted upon the v wil An angular finger member31 provided at its upper end with a widened bearing portion 32, and atits lower end with an aperture 33, is pivotally mounted between the sideportions 2626 of the lever member upon a pin 34 secured between saidportions, the headed over ends-of this pin being accommodate dfin theangular recesses 24 in the upper edge of the ears 23 in the normalposition of the deing relation over and abOutthe pin ZZand is adapted tohave its apertured end 33 engaged with the hooked end 21 of the plungerrod18, the point of hooking being substantially below the axis of thepin Q7,'about which the lever liandle member 'swings while the axis ofthe pin 34 is inwardly of the verticalplane ofth'eaxis oftllGfPlIlQTylHtllQ-1101H1'2tl' operativeposition.

The operation is as -follows-: 7 I WVith the parts in their-normaloperative position asshown in Fig. :1, the force of the SPIlIIg-QO'BXQITS a downward pull on the tog- I --gle lever-handlemembento the leftof the-pin 27, retaining itf-in' position.

connection ofthe-finger member 31 with the j The'poin't of hook endofthe-plunger rod -18'being-to the right of the vertical plane of the*aXis-ofthe pinj34l aconstantxinward pressure is exerted on the closureflap-11 01? the-hood, sothat; it is :firmly held in closed position.

-In orderto-di-sengage the catch the handle 28 is pulled'outwa-rdlytoa-point where the axiso'f the=pini34 passesover the axis ofthe pin 27,whereupon the parts willmove to disconnecting relation under the forceof the spring 20. The finger;membenbeing-fidisengaged,-'-as shown inFig.4, :the toggle means returns to its normal position \under theaction of the spring 29. I

The operation oficonnectingthecatch is-the -reverse, -the fingermembertbeing engaged with the hook end of the plunger rod-through inwardmovement of thetoggle lever, which is thenforcedupwardly:tolthepoinflwhere thezaxis of the:pin34passes over: theaxis of the pin 27, whereupon the parts.snap tolthe operative positionas shown. in Fig.1.

' I "have illustrate d and described a preferred and satisfactoryembodiment ofithe invention, but it will be obvious that changes .may bemadetheirein withinlthespirit and scope thereof, a as 'defi-nedin 'thelappended V claims.

, Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to securebyLettersPatentis: M 1; In a hood :catch, a :spring actuated plunger,toggle means comprising a bra'cket,

point longitudinally K spaced' from a lever member pivoted to saidbracket. at a plunger adapted ;to' be swung inwardly to- .ward thehood-at the sideofthe-pivot remote 7 from saidiplunger in oneflpositionandinwar'dly toward said plunger in another posi- November,"I928.

said

" plunger, toggle means comprising a bracket,

a lever member pivoted to said bracket at a "point longitudinally spacedfrom said plunger adapted to be swunginwardly toward the hood at thesidefof the pivot remote from salidplunger'in one position and 'in- Iwandly towardsaild plunger 'in another posi- 5 tion, aifingermemberpivoted'to said lever at apoint'inwardly' ofthe pivotal axis of the Vlever member in saidfirstposition and being disposed between. said leverandsaid plunger n saidlsec'ond'position, and sprlng'means adapted toyieldably retain sald lever mem-..,

her in said firstpositiomsaid plunger and" finger member havinginterengaging means adapted .tofbe engaged with each'other insaid secondposition through inward movement ofsald lever member and adaptedto-extend' =.said plunger member through'movement to said firstposition.

Signed at- Bridgeport, county of Fairfield' -and Stateof Connecticut,this 23rd day of TRAYMONDG. MOORE.

